Difference between aerodynamic and sieve separators
The process of harvesting and further processing of grain is one of the key agricultural activities. Many farmers puzzle over whether to choose an aerodynamic separator, which cleans and calibrates grain by weight and shape with the help of air, or a sieve separator, which selects grain by size.
Let’s start by looking at what a sieve separator is and what it is used for. There are a large number of sieve-type separators with different operating principles, but the main function of such a unit is to select the source material by size. For example, confectionery seeds – most agricultural enterprises that work with this crop just need to select the size of the seeds and for this purpose a sieve separator is perfect. But if we take the general task of sieve separators, the main purpose of which is primary and preliminary cleaning, the seed is not prepared on such units. When buying such a unit, a farmer may face a number of inconveniences, namely, if the grain is good, healthy, but it is larger than the diameter of the holes, it will fall into defects. The high cost of sieves for one type of crop, replacement of sieves (an experienced specialist changes them in an hour and a half, two hours, and in the season it is really a lot of time when every minute is worth its weight in gold). And, of course, these are the large dimensions, noise level and energy consumption. It cannot be said categorically that sieve grain cleaners are very inconvenient both in operation and in terms of their functionality.
As for the ISM aerodynamic separators, they are completely free of sieve technology.
The grain is separated into fractions in the air flow due to its weight and windage. Thanks to the air method of grain cleaning and calibration, ISM separators are able to isolate the seeds with the highest germination rate, i.e. the seeds that have the largest number of vital components for growth.
Thanks to the presence of a frequency converter, the farmer will be able to more accurately adjust the ISM separator for any crop, depending on humidity and weediness. And the indicator located on the control panel will help to find out at what engine speed the grain cleaner has achieved perfect separation. The electronic indicator also serves to memorize the settings for a particular crop and not to adjust the separator next time, wasting precious time. Another significant advantage of the frequency converter is the reverse mode. What is the reverse mode? The name speaks for itself. With the help of a switch, the ISM separator starts to work in the opposite direction and thereby clean the separator from debris or previous material. 3-5 minutes of operation and the separator is ready for use again. Is it convenient? I think so, considering the fact that during the season this function is very necessary to save time. Also, the presence of a frequency converter allowed us to reduce the power consumption of ISM separators, since when working on the machine, we use only the power and air flow that is necessary for the separation of a particular crop. In short, the heavier the source material, the more power will be required and the higher the energy consumption. Conversely, the lighter the crop, the less electricity the separator will consume.
Well, perhaps not an unimportant factor in comparing two types of grain cleaning equipment: sieve type and aerodynamic, is the size and noise level. ISM aerodynamic separators have relatively small dimensions and are also less noisy.
The main thing is that ISM aerodynamic separators can both clean grain and prepare seed, and all other advantages are a nice bonus. After all, a farmer expects high-quality grain cleaning and seed calibration from grain cleaning equipment in the first place.